1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to portable beverage coolers.
2. Description of the Related Art
The prior art discusses various coolers, including coolers with lighting.
Winslow, U.S. Pat. No. 4,754,376 for an Automatic Ice Chest Light discloses a lighting device (light bulb) attached to n interior surface of a lid of an ice chest that is automatically activated when the lid is raised and deactivates when the lid is closed by way of a mercury switch.
Bania, U.S. Pat. No. 6,182,462 for an Internally Illuminated Cooler Box, discloses an incandescent light bulb built into an internal wall of a lid of a cooler box and which is activated by an automatic spring loaded switching mechanism.
Pashley et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,341 for a LED Illumination For Cold Storage Compartments discloses the use of LED lighting for a cold storage compartment.
Blanchard et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,519,965 for an Externally Illuminated Cooler Box, discloses an incandescent light bulb built into an external side wall of a cooler box and which is activated by a switching mechanism.
Wyatt, U.S. Pat. No. 6,997,007 for a Light Assembly And Cooler System discloses a light assembly positioned on a front wall of a cooler and having an interior illumination panel and an exterior illumination panel which is controlled by a switch that deactivates the lighting when the lid is closed.
Incandescent lights have heat-driven emissions which use an electric current through a filament and produce light along with heat. This light source is completely useless for application to a cooler since it directly takes away from the basic functionality of a cooler. Fluorescent lights use a gas-discharge lamp and electricity to excite mercury vapor, producing a short-wave ultraviolet light that causes a phosphor to fluoresce, in turn producing actual, visible light. This type of light source is cost efficient however requires a ballast to regulate current through a bulb or lamp. Ballasts take up volume and generate heat. Since volume maximization is a primary attribute to be contained, a fluorescent light with a ballast is an improbable solution. Also, fluorescent bulbs are extremely fragile, with the possibility of breakage upon closing of the lid which would expose the hazardous gas and mercury within the cooler.
The prior art, although providing various means for illuminating a cooler, has still not addressed all of the problems with illuminating a portable cooler. The entire interior of the cooler should be illuminated and should be illuminated for an extensive period without an external power source. Also, the illumination should only create a minimal amount of heat in order for the cooler to serve its primary function of cooling the contents of the cooler. The cooler should also have an “automatic” switch to activate the illumination, and the switch should be durable.